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Food Banks Can't Do It Alone

Canada's poorest communities are least able to address the effects of poverty with a charitable response. As the rate of poverty in a given community increases, the number of donors available to support charitable efforts - and the ability of charities to address the effects of poverty - decreases.
By 

Director of Policy and Research at Food Banks Canada

Director of Policy and Research at Food Banks Canada
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Recently, a group of 250 people took a day off from work, but they didn't spend the day at the cottage or go to the spa. Instead, they travelled to a giant warehouse in north Toronto to pack 30,000 bags of food for hungry kids, as part of Food Banks Canada's After the Bell program.

These bags of food will be distributed in July and August, along with fresh produce, by food banks in thirteen cities across the country. They will help to fill the gap left by the absence of school meal and snack programs during the summer -- programs that too many children depend on to get enough to eat every day.

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These volunteers were not alone. Hundreds, if not thousands, of organizations are involved in making sure the children they see in their day camps, summer schools and drop-in centres have enough food -- because too many are arriving with nothing, or very little, in their lunch bags.

Governments have let the pendulum swing too far

This type of charity and mutual aid has always been part of the Canadian social bedrock. From the first days of the United Appeal (which became the United Way) in the early 1900s, to breadlines in the 1930s, up to our intense support of Vietnamese and Syrian refugees, Canadians are serious about community-level mutual aid. However, the balance between government-led and community-led support has shifted much too far onto communities.

Canada's poorest communities are least able to address the effects of poverty with a charitable response. As the rate of poverty in a given community increases, the number of donors available to support charitable efforts -- and the ability of charities to address the effects of poverty -- decreases.

Only government programs can ensure a basic level of access, in all communities.

This dynamic is a major contributor to inequality across Canada. In communities where rates of poverty and food insecurity are high, and where many households depend on social assistance to get by, charities struggle mightily to find donors to keep them afloat. The services that people in more affluent communities have access to -- fragmented and imperfect though they may be -- often simply don't exist in lower-income communities.

Only governments can offer equal access to needed services

Only government programs can ensure a basic level of access, in all communities, to the supports and services people need to get back on their feet during difficult times. The most basic government program available to such households -- social assistance -- is failing, on an epic scale, to provide the help that people need. The same is true of too many government-supported programs, from affordable child care to adult education.

The federal government has an opportunity to begin to change this imbalance with its upcoming poverty reduction strategy, due to be released this autumn: an opportunity to leave behind tried, tested and failed strategies, and to chart a new path. The new strategy can position the federal government as a leader of change, and pull provincial and territorial governments away from what is clearly not working.

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Also on HuffPost:

5 Ways To Donate To Food Banks
5 Minutes: Donate At The Grocery Store(01 of05)
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The next time you go grocery shopping, check to see if the store is collecting any items for local food banks, says Kathy Murphy, corporate affairs director at Kraft Canada. "It takes five minutes to buy something, so why not donate it? If you're shopping for peanut butter, buy two and donate the other," she says. (credit:Shutterstock)
5 Hours: Volunteer At The Food Bank(02 of05)
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During the year (especially during the holiday season), food banks need volunteers to sort, manage and give out food, Murphy says. If you have five hours to spare, gather a group of friends or co-workers and head to your local food bank. "It's the time of year when food banks receive large donations and they need help to sort it out," she says. (credit:Shutterstock)
5 Days: Organize A Food Drive(03 of05)
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If you have a week off during the holidays, Murphy suggests organizing a food drive at your holiday party or even one at the office. Giving people a week gives them enough time to mobilize and collect donations, she adds.
5 Weeks: Fill A Hamper(04 of05)
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When you have five weeks, think long-term: Every week when you go grocery shopping, try to save one item to donate. "Have the goal to fill a hamper and donate this to a food bank," Murphy says. (credit:Shutterstock)
5 Months: Working On Long-Term Goals(05 of05)
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One of the biggest issues for Canadian food banks is the ability to meet the growing demands and needs of serving people in the long run, Murphy says. If you have five months and want to volunteer with a food bank, Murphy recommends talking to them about meeting their capacity needs and working towards one long-term goal. For example, you could organize a fundraiser or help the organization look for sponsors or partnerships. (credit:Shutterstock)

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